CBCA 2026 shortlist announced

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Awards.

The shortlisted books in each category, selected from the 2026 Notable Books list announced last month, are:

Book of the year: Older readers (13–18 years)

• Darkest Night, Brightest Star (Barry Jonsberg, A&U)
• Golden (Jade Timms, Text)
• Of Flame and Fury (Mikayla Bridge, Macmillan)
• This Stays Between Us (Margot McGovern, Penguin)
• Unhallowed Halls (Lili Wilkinson, A&U Children’s)
• We Saw What You Started (Carla Salmon, Pan)

Book of the Year: Younger Readers (7–12 years)

• Inked (Karen Wasson, illus by Jake A Minton, Figment)
• Little Bones (Sandy Bigna, illus by Tamlyn Teow, UQP)
• The Paperbark Tree Committee (Karys McEwen, Text)
• Run (Sarah Armstrong, HGCP)
• Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces (Sally Barton, illus by Christopher Nielsen, Walker Books)
• Spirit of the Crocodile (Aaron Fa’Aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White, A&U Children’s)

Book of the Year: Early Childhood (0–6 years)

• The Colours of Home (Sally Soweol Han, T&H)
• Derek (Anne Donaldson, illus by Matt Shanks, Little Hare)
• The Emperor’s Egg (Rae Tan, Lothian)
• Frogs Are Our Friends (Toni D’Alia, illus by Madeline White, Bright Light)
• My Nonno Loves (Adelle Frittitta, illus by Claudia Frittitta, Little Hare)
• The Thing About Christmas (Jo Dabrowski, illus by Briony Stewart, Little Book Press)

Picture Book of the Year (0–18 years)

• Bob and Dob (Sean E Avery, Walker Books)
• Dawn (Marc Martin, Walker Books)
• Dear Broccoli (Jo Dabrowski, illus by Cate James, Affirm Kids)
• The Frog’s First Song (Jazz Money, illus by Jason Phu, UQP)
• Once I Was a Giant (Zeno Sworder, T&H)
• Tiwi in Paris (Glen Farmer Illortaminni, T&H)

Eve Pownall Award

• Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles (Corey Tutt, illus by Ben Williams, A&U Children’s)
• A Loo of One’s Own (Eleri Harris, A&U Children’s)
• Ningaloo (Tim Winton, illus by Cindy Lane, Fremantle)
• Peculiar Parents (Stephanie Owen Reeder, illus by Ingrid Bartkowiak, NLA)
• There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The kids’ guide to Australia’s amazing democracy (Annabel Crabb, illus by First Dog on the Moon, A&U Children’s)
• The Thylacine and the Time Machine (Renée Treml, A&U Children’s)

Award for New Illustrator

• Being Indy (Estee Sarsfield, written by Zoe Gaetjens , WestWords Children’s )
• Beyond the Shore (Mark Chester Harding , written by Kirli Saunders, Scholastic)
• A Farm by the Sea (Jillian Packer, Berbay)
• A Loo of One’s Own (Eleri Harris, A&U Children’s)
• Prayer for a River (Uncle Glenn Loughrey , written by Andrew Kelly & Uncle Glenn Loughrey, Wild Dog)
• Save the Gum Trees, Bees and Big Blue Seas (Luke John Matthew Arnold , Scholastic).

The winners of the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Awards will be announced on Friday 21 August. The Shadow Judging Book of the Year, for which groups of young people across Australia vote for one winner per category from the 2026 shortlist, will also be announced on 21 August.

Children’s Book Week will run from 22 to 28 August.

CBCA chair Jo Panckridge said 2026 “marks the 80th year of CBCA’s Book of the Year Awards and 8 decades of advocacy for children’s literature in Australia”.

“Our wonderful 2026 Shortlist showcases the breadth and diversity of storytelling in Australia,” said Panckridge. “With contemporary themes that resonate, connect to young lives, inspire critical and creative thinking and drive debate, this year’s selection reflects the richness of children’s literature in our country today.”

CBCA previously announced that next year’s Book of the Year Awards will include a middle readers category for ages 10 to 13.

More information about the CBCA Awards and this year’s shortlist is available on the CBCA website.

Category: Local news